More About Me

Off the Clock

The clues behind the objects.

If you clicked one of the hidden objects, you are probably the kind of person who notices small details and follows curiosity a little further. I like that. This page is a more personal map of my life: the animals at home, the road trips, the cameras, the tools, the old competition years, the moment AI first became real to me, and the life I have built in marriage.

Pets

Nebula, Luna, and Nova

I live with one dog and two cats. Nebula is a golden retriever, labrador, and greyhound mix. Luna is a purebred Siamese. Nova is an orange cat mixed with British Shorthair energy.

Photography

Fuji, Ricoh, and film later

I like photography because it changes how I look at ordinary things. I own a Fuji and a Ricoh, and I want to spend more time with film cameras and developing photos later on.

Origin Story

AlphaGo changed the direction

The 2016 Lee Sedol versus AlphaGo matches were the turning point that made me decide to study AI seriously. That same year, I learned Python.

Art

Years of Chinese painting

I actually studied traditional Chinese painting for many years. It trained my eye for composition, patience, and the kind of detail that only shows up when you slow down enough to really look.

Music

Very little talent, one surviving instrument

I do not really have musical talent. The only instrument I can play is the hulusi. I tried learning piano and drums too, but neither one stayed with me.

Road Trips

I really love driving

I love cars and I love long drives. The longest road trip I have done was relocating from Edmonton to Toronto after undergrad, around 3500 km over seven days.

More Miles

The trips I keep planning around

I have also driven Edmonton to Vancouver and back, Toronto to Quebec City and back, and I am about to do Toronto to Ann Arbor to Chicago and back for my Michigan graduation.

Relocation Drive

Edmonton to Toronto

That relocation drive is still the one I remember most clearly.

Jan 15: Saskatoon, 520 km
Jan 16: Regina, 260 km
Jan 17: Winnipeg, 570 km
Jan 18: Manitoba to Ontario border, 150 km. Heavy snow closed the road, so I ended up staying briefly in the mountains, where I ran into a red fox.
Jan 19: Thunder Bay, 570 km
Jan 20: Sault Ste. Marie, 700 km
Jan 21: Toronto, 700 km

Total: around 3500 km.

Cooking

Knives, cookware, and forging

I like cooking, beautiful kitchen tools, and well-made knives. Recently I have become especially interested in blade forging.

Models

I grew up building and competing

I have loved models since I was little. Starting in junior high, I trained in vehicle model competitions, won many awards, took second place in the Asian Cup women's division, placed top three in national, provincial, and city-level competitions, and once took a photo with a world champion in vehicle models. I also know robot programming.

Fun Fact

PAL, but no gun yet

I passed the firearms licence process, but I do not own a gun yet. It is more part of a broader curiosity about tools, mechanics, and training than a collecting habit.

Life

Marriage, happiness, and the life beyond work

Everything above is part of my life, and entering marriage has made that life feel even fuller. I feel very happy, very loved, and very grounded. Work matters to me, but the life I am building with my wife matters just as much. The part of life outside work is not secondary to me. It is one of the things that gives the work meaning in the first place.